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Energy Transfer Dumps Load of Documents in Case Against Greenpeace and Water Protectors

by Brenda Norrell
STANDING ROCK, North Dakota -- A new development has delayed the trial in the lawsuit filed by Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and Standing Rock water protectors. A "massive document dump" by Energy Transfer resulted in the delay, after the owner of Dakota Access Pipeline began issuing third party subpoenas to water protectors and the media, Greenpeace told Censored News.
STANDING ROCK, North Dakota -- A new development has delayed the trial in the lawsuit filed by Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and Sta...
Energy Transfer's Trial Against Standing Rock Water Protectors Delayed Due to Pipeline Company's Massive Document Dump

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, August 1, 2024

STANDING ROCK, North Dakota -- A new development has delayed the trial in the lawsuit filed by Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and Standing Rock water protectors. A "massive document dump" by Energy Transfer resulted in the delay, after the owner of Dakota Access Pipeline began issuing third party subpoenas to water protectors and the media, Greenpeace told Censored News.

"Originally, our trial was set for July 29th, 2024 – but due to a massive document dump by Energy Transfer in June, Greenpeace filed a request to have the trial date pushed back. The judge agreed, and moved our trial to February 24, 2025 through March 28, 2025," Lindsay Bigda, communication director, Democracy Resilience Program at Greenpeace USA told Censored News today.

Responding to questions, Greenpeace said Red Warrior Society and other water protectors are named in the lawsuit.

Dr. Michelle Cook, Dine', director of Divest Invest Protect said, "All over the world righteous people are under attack for speaking truth to the so-called 'powerful.''

"Very few jurisdictions have made steps to prevent the corporate legal warfare waged in SLAPPs to silence dissent and freedom of expression. The United States has long failed to uphold human rights and Indigenous leaders have had no choice but to leave their precious homelands; and use international diplomacy to implore all those who will listen for an end to the extractive industry violence.'

"Europe played a key role in the colonization of the planet. Now let's see if she, her people, and jurisdictions, can help in undoing and healing that historic wound. Indigenous peoples must continue to engage with Europe to seek justice and corporate accountability," Cook told Censored News. She organized delegations of Native American women water protectors to Europe and the United Nations.

Now, Standing Rock water protectors have been served subpoenas in the case from Energy Transfer, as it seeks out information. Unicorn Riot fought the subpoena in Minnesota and won its case to protect its internal media files. However, Energy Transfer has now asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to reconsider its case.

Greenpeace clarified the reason for the subpoenas that water protectors and Unicorn Riot media were served with.

"Unicorn riot was never named in the lawsuit. They received a third party subpoena, along with many other activist groups and individuals (these folks are not parties to the case; rather, they are third parties that Energy Transfer wants info from in its case against Greenpeace,)" Bigda told Censored News.

Greenpeace: Big Oil Denies Standing Rock was Indigenous-led Movement

Greenpeace USA said in a separate statement, "We’re being sued by Big Oil Energy Transfer for $300 million. It’s an abusive lawsuit designed to end Greenpeace’s 50-year legacy of environmental activism."

"But it’s bigger than just us."

"Energy Transfer built the infamous Dakota Access Pipeline. You’ll remember that in 2016, Indigenous organizers led one of the most powerful protests in modern history at Standing Rock," Greenpeace USA said on Instagram.⁣

"Now ET claims it was all Greenpeace’s doing? It’d be laughable if it weren’t a lie and racist attempt to erase Indigenous leadership in North Dakota.⁣"

"They’re suing to recover so-called 'losses.' But really, this is about bankrupting Greenpeace USA and silencing protesters. This lawsuit would establish dangerous case law allowing corporations to go after bystanders at peaceful protests. The only way to stop this lawsuit is if we generate enough public outrage to force them to drop the lawsuit.⁣"

"We demand that 'Energy Transfer immediately drop its $300 million lawsuit against Greenpeace. This lawsuit is a blatant attempt to silence our voices. This lawsuit sets a dangerous precedent, empowering corporate giants to intimidate and silence their critics by suing them for unimaginable amounts using nonsensical/bogus arguments. Help fight back — tell Energy Transfer to drop their meritless lawsuit now.⁣"

Mercenaries TigerSwan Spied without a License, Provided Info to Law Enforcement

Red Warrior Camp was a focus of the mercenaries hired by Energy Transfer at Standing Rock in September of 2016, as revealed in the court-ordered spy documents released.

TigerSwan was found working in North Dakota without a license from 2016 through 2017. As a result, the North Dakota regulatory board ordered that TigerSwan's spy files be released. The Intercept now has over 50,000 of TigerSwan's spy documents at Standing Rock, as a result of a lengthy court battle. Energy Transfer, employer of TigerSwan, fought the release of documents in North Dakota court, but the North Dakota Supreme Court upheld the decision to release TigerSwan's documents in 2022.

The TigerSwan aerial photos included Oceti Sakowin Camp, Red Warrior Camp, and the other camps. The spy documents reveal that a U.S. Border Patrol drone was included in the aerial surveillance and infiltrators were placed in the water protector camps at Standing Rock and elsewhere.

Greenpeace Battling Lawsuit at International Level: First for European Union Anti-SLAPP Directive

Greenpeace International said that Energy Transfer's lawsuit attempts to deny that the Standing Rock resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline was an Indigenous-led movement, which began in 2016. Energy Transfer's lawsuit was slated for July 29, 2024 in Morton County District of North Dakota Court.

Greenpeace is battling Energy Transfer's SLAPP lawsuit at the international level, Greenpeace made the announcement in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 23, 2024.

"Greenpeace International pushed back today against a meritless, US $300 million lawsuit from US-based fossil fuel company Energy Transfer by sending a Notice of Liability to its headquarters in Dallas, Texas."

"The Notice of Liability informs Energy Transfer (ET) of Greenpeace International’s intention to bring a lawsuit against the company in a Dutch Court to recover all damage and costs it has suffered as a result of the SLAPP suit, unless ET withdraws its case and accepts responsibility for the harm Greenpeace International has suffered."

"The Notice of Liability marks the first application of the new European Union anti-SLAPP Directive. The EU adopted the Directive in April 2024 to combat SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) – abusive lawsuits, like the ET suit, that are meant to silence people who speak out on matters of public interest."

Read more at Censored News

Top photo by Rob Wilson Photography, Standing Rock 2016

Copyright Censored News
§
by Brenda Norrell
From the TigerSwan spy files at Standing Rock: An aerial view of one of the water protector camps at Standing Rock in 2016.
§
by Brenda Norrell
sm_image-63.jpeg
Standing Rock Water Protectors by Rob Wilson Photography, Censored News.
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